Apparatus and method for moving and placing granulate material

ABSTRACT

A method and system are disclosed for moving and placing in hard to reach locations granular and other particulate material such as sand, gravel, earth and similar materials. The system includes an improved auger for moving the material and an improved rotary airlock mechanism designed to withstand the abrasive action of the particulate material and at the same time move the material several hundred feet through a flexible conduit for placement in a pre-designated location. A system and apparatus is also disclosed for transporting on one vehicle all of the devices needed at a remote site for operation the particulate placement system, including a front loader.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Divisional application of application Ser. No.11/475,677, filed 27 Jun. 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, issued ______,which was a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 10/340,214,filed 9 Jan. 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,004, issued 22 Aug. 2006, andthe disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference to theextent necessary for a full enabling disclosure of the presentinvention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the placement of granular materialsand more specifically, to an Improved Apparatus and Method for Movingand Placing Granulate.

2. Description of Related Art

Sand, gravel and rock are used in a variety of applications for theconstruction industry. From aggregate base for concrete slabs, to backfill for retaining walls, granular materials, or granulates, areprobably the most widely used substance, outside of concrete, in theconstruction industry. What has been a common problem has been movingthe granulate from place to place when a dump truck and/or cranes andmechanical shovels do not have easy access.

Another application, namely the construction of concrete flatwork (slabson grade and the like) typically require a 2- to 6-inch layer of sand,gravel or other granular material underneath a concrete slab. In theseapplications, a vapor barrier is often required in order to providemoisture protection. The material of choice for vapor barriers istypically of a size and material that is job-site-specific, andtherefore delivered directly from the vendor to a location adjacent tothe flatwork in progress. Since the vapor barrier and subsequentgranulate installation are the final steps preceding the actual concretepouring, they are not completed until all other mechanical, electricallines and footing reinforcement bars have been installed. As such, heavyequipment cannot be driven over the pad (and lines and bars) because thelines and bars (and vapor barrier) would be disturbed. Because of thisrestriction, the granulate has heretofore been applied manually withwheelbarrows and shovels.

Furthermore, the process of concrete flatwork usually involves theinstallation of a perimeter forms for the slab (i.e. within which theconcrete would be poured). These perimeter forms also interfere with theuse of heavy equipment to load the granulate into the pad. What isneeded is a device and method that permits the transfer of granulateinto a concrete flatwork pad without disturbing the mechanical andelectrical lines, the reinforcing bars, the vapor barrier or theperimeter forms.

A number of improvements have been made to mechanisms for the pumpingsand and gravel. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,336,774, which is owned by the same entity that owns this application.That patent discloses a system that, among other things has a screw typeauger that has an upward inclination and creates a constant even streamof gravel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,774 is hereby incorporated herein as setforth here, and at length. However, even this invention as disclosedherein has certain deficiencies.

An on going problem experienced by systems used for placing flowablematerial, in particular materials like sand and gravel, is the extremewear and tear these abrasive materials cause to these systems. Theseabrasive materials rapidly break down and even destroy the parts of thehandling systems. Additionally, even with various improvements asignificant amount of inefficiencies exist in currently availablesystems. Leaks caused by the wear and tear of various parts of thesystem reduce significantly the operational characteristics of thesesystems. Additionally, problems still exist and significant improvementscan still be made to improve the operational characteristics of thesesystems. Thus, it is a further object of the improved version of thepresent invention to achieve a significant increase in the efficienciesof the system and reduce occurrence and frequency of equipment break.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the priordevices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to providean Improved Apparatus and Method for Moving and Placing Granulate. It isan object that the present invention provide a portable, self-containedapparatus capable of discharging granulate into hard-to-reach areas, aswell as providing assistance in covering vast open areas with granulatein a short time. It is a further object that the device and methodpermit the application of granulate into areas that are normallyinaccessible and would require many hours of human labor, and therebypotentially avoiding damage to the site that might be incurred ifemploying a prior method and device. It is a still further object thatthe present invention serve to provide discharge of granulate near oradjacent to retaining walls and underneath concrete flatwork.

In an aspect of the improved version of the present invention itprovides A rotary air lock pump mechanism having: a) a material feedbowl with a plurality of chambers, the bowl being configured forrotational movement around a central axis of the bowl and a power sourceto rotate the bowl about the axis; b) a collection barrel positionedover an open end of the bowl with a central axis of the barrel beingcongruent with the central axis of the bowl, the barrel remaining fixedwhile said bowl rotates about the central axis, the barrel directingflowable material deposited into exposed ends of the chambers of thebowl; c) an air intake material ejection manifold that when positionedin a receiving recess on the barrel is serially presented to an open endof each chamber of the bowl as the bowl is rotated about the centralaxis and wherein when air is injected into an air receiving portion ofthe manifold it is injected into a chamber of the bowl being presentedto the manifold and thereby causing flowable material deposited in thechamber to be ejected out through a material ejection portion of themanifold; d) a wear gasket positioned between a first side of a faceplate of the manifold and the bowl, the gasket facilitating smoothrotation of the bowl; e) a pressure mechanism engagedly positionedagainst a second side of the face plate to assure even wear of the weargasket and to thereby maintain a suitable seal between the face plate ofthe manifold and the bowl; and f) wherein as the bowl rotates flowablematerial is deposited through the barrel into a portion of the chambersthe ends of which are exposed in the barrel and as each chamber isserially presented to the manifold, by rotation of the bowl, theflowable material is ejected by the manifold.

In yet another aspect of the present invention it provides a materialhandling mechanism having: a) a loading hopper with a first opening at atop end for receiving flowable material and a second opening at a bottomend for collecting and directing flowable material placed in the firstopening; b) a compactor drive apparatus located below and adjacent tothe second opening of the second opening of the hopper, the compactordrive apparatus forming the flowable material from the hopper into asteady and even stream; c) a rotary air lock pump mechanism forreceiving the steady even stream created by the compactor driveapparatus, the rotary air lock pump mechanism having appropriate sealingand wear mechanisms to facilitate operation and prevent leakage offlowable material and even wear of moving parts; and d) a long flexibleconduit connected to a material ejection conduit of the rotary air lockpump mechanism to place the flowable material in a pre-selectedlocation. In a further aspect of the present invention it includes amechanism to cool pressurized air being injected into the rotary airpump.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed tobe novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Thepresent invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are views of each side of an improved version of theself-propelled granulate placement system of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a schematic block diagram of one version of a power take offsystem for use with present invention;

FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram of another version of a power take offsystem for use with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line IX-IX of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. 3 a view of the rear of the improved version of the self-propelledgranulate placement system;

FIG. 3A is a top view of the interior of the loading hopper;

FIG. 4 schematic blow-up view of the major functional components of therotary air lock pump mechanism;

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view of one chamber of the bowl along line11A;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the portion of FIG. 4A in circle 11B;

FIG. 5 a side view of a portion of an assembled rotary air lock pumpsystem;

FIG. 5A is front view of the exterior blowout seal pad;

FIG. 5 b is a perspective view of the exterior blow out seal pad FIG. 6cross-sectional view of the rotary air lock system of FIG. 5 along planeVI-VI;

FIG. 6 a is a close up view of the items in circle VIA of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 a top view of a portion of a rotary air lock pump system;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a deflector of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is rear perspective view of a system of the present inventionwith two rotary air lock pumps;

FIG. 9 is schematic block diagram of the system used to cool thepressurized air used to eject material from the rotary air lockmechanism; and

FIG. 10 is a frontal view of a control panel of a preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the material ejection manifoldalong XI-XI in FIG. 6;

FIG. 11A is a close up view of the cross-sectional area designated XIAin FIG. 11;

FIG. 11B is a close up of the cross-sectional area of the manifoldidentified as seen in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is another version of the entire system in a tractor-trailerarrangement;

FIG. 13 depicts the system of the present invention being used to fillsandbags and;

FIG. 14 is a view of the system adapted for sandblasting;

FIG. 15 provides an exploded perspective view of an alternativeembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the generic principles of the present invention have beendefined herein specifically to provide an Improved Apparatus and Methodfor Moving and Placing Granulate.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are views of both sides of an improvedself-propelled granulate application system of the present invention. Inone preferred embodiment the system is configured on a flatbed truck121. In FIGS. 1A and 1B the truck 121 has the typical set up with itmotor 123 located in the front. The unit also includes the followingviewable on both sides of the truck: a tractor loader 125, aircompressor 127, air cooler 128, for cooling air leaving compressor 127,control panel 129, pump hose 131 on a hydraulic driven reel 132 andloading hopper 133. Viewable on the side of truck 121 in FIG. 1A are inaddition: a rotary airlock pump mechanism 135, a tractor loading bucket137, ramp parts 139, ramp extensions 141, a power take off unit 143 fordrawing power for the hydraulic systems from the truck motor andhydraulic lines that connect to the various hydraulic systems. In theembodiment of the invention disclosed herein the air compressor has itsown power source; however, as will be discussed in more detail below inan alternate version the air compressor could be powered from a powertake off system that uses the truck engine for power.

The tractor loader 125 is a typical small tractor loader that typicallyweights in the range and sized to fit on the truck as well as a loadingcapacity to meet the demands of the pump output. A single individualsitting in the seat of the tractor operates tractor loader 125, and inthe preferred embodiment the tractor is a front loader type of tractor.When the tractor is not being used and it is on truck 121 front scoop137 of tractor 125 is stored securely under bed 147 of truck 121.Tractor loader 1251 s moved off and onto truck 121 under its own powerwith tilt ramp sections 139 and ramp extensions 141. FIG. 2 a crosssectional view of truck 121 along line U-II of FIGS. 1A and 1B depictthe structure of the of tilt ramp sections 139, ramp sections 141 andtruck bed 147A configured to allow the moving of tractor 125 on or offtruck 121. The entire assembled ramp 149 is depicted in FIG. 2.

One of the problems of providing for the driving a tractor onto ordriving it off of a standard truck bed is the steepness required for theramp and/or the length required to make it feasible and safe. If theramp is too steep it creates serious safety problems and the tractormight not have sufficient power to move up the ramp. If the ramp is tolong it may make using a ramp impractical to carry or strong enough tobridge the gap. The present invention makes two modifications to make itsafe and feasible to drive a tractor off and onto a standard truck bed.The first modification involves lowering by six inches that portion ofthe standard truck bed which will carry tractor 125 from the standardheight of four feet above the ground to three and half feet. In FIGS. 1Aand 1B the truck bed is divided with an upper section 147 and a lowersection 147A. Naturally, the bed could be lowered even more than sixinches or less than six inches and this portion of the invention wouldstill be practicable. However, in the preferred embodiment six inchesappears to be best. The second modification is to start the ramp thattractor 125 will move up and down with tilt ramp section or sections 139as part of the truck bed. As can be seen in FIG. 2 tilt ramp section 139is formed from a portion of truck bed 147A that is beveled down. Tiltramp section 139 starts just beyond where the wheels of tractor 125 sitwhen it is parked on truck bed 147A for transportation. Ramp extensionor extensions 141 then can be connected to tilt ramp sections 139 tocomplete ramp 149. Thus, by the time tractor reaches the edge 151 oftruck bed 147A it is only two feet nine inches above the ground in theembodiment depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

Referring to FIG. 1A a version of the ramp is depicted in which the rampis divided up into two sections one each for the sets of wheels oneither side of tractor 125 the set on the left side 153A and the set onthe right side 153B. Ramp section 139 and ramp extension 141 on the leftside in FIG. 1A being used for the wheels 153A on the left side and rampsection 139 and ramp extension 141 on the right side being used for theset of wheels 153B on the right side of tractor 125. When not in useramp the extension/extensions as the case maybe 141 can be stored undertractor 125 on the bed of the truck as depicted in FIG. 1A. As analternative embodiment not depicted, tilt ramp section 139 could extendacross the entire section of bed 147A in front of tractor 125 and rampextension 141 could be on flat unit that connects to the entire front ofthe ramp section that form part of the bed of the truck if tilt rampsection 139 were to extend across the entire bed in front of the tractoras it sits on the bed of the truck.

The ramp system and lowered truck bed for carrying and moving a tractoron and off of the truck, allows the tractor to be carried on the truck.It eliminates the need for a separate trailer for carrying the tractor.The ramp system and lowered truck bed accomplish this for severalreasons. It lowers the center of gravity of the weight of the tractorwhen being carried. It reduces the length of the ramp sections to under5 feet. It also reduces the angle of inclination t)f the ramp to allowthe tractor to be safely driven off or onto the truck bed under its ownpower.

Transporting the tractor on the truck instead of towing it on a trailerattached to the truck or transporting it to the job site on its ownseparate truck and trailer has a number of advantages. Among them itsaves in trailer costs: licensing, tires, equipment, brakes, lights etc.It provides a fully self-contained unit that among other things reducesthe number of persons necessary for operation. Additionally, iteliminates the need for extra storage space at a yard at night andstorage of the trailer on the street at the job site during operation ofthe system.

Compressor 127 as depicted in the disclosed embodiment is a fairlystandard type of compressor that is driven by its stand-alone gas ordiesel powered supply. However, compressor 127 could receive power froma power take off system that works directly off of truck engine 123 orfrom a power take off operating off Of the trucks gear system. The powertransfer mechanism from the engine of the transmission could be ahydraulic based system. Compressor 127 provides the flow of compressedair used by rotary air lock pump mechanism 135. As will be discussed indetail below a flow of compressed air from compressor 127 is piped byappropriate hoses to a rotary air lock mechanism, to be described indetail below, where it is used to create the stream of flowable materialthat is being placed. The term flowable is used to described what infact the system can accomplish, that is to take a basically dry orreasonably dry granulate material and turn it into a flowable stream tothus allow for depositing the granulate material in a desired and oftenhard to reach location. Typically, these hard to reach locations are onconstruction sites but any other application where such material has tobe moved, and precisely placed as possible. The types of granulatematerial can vary from sand or gravel to top soil or many other type ofgranulate materials.

The system described herein based on the improvements detailed above andbelow thus, can move various flowable materials varying from sand togravel of ½ inch or smaller size through a hose of about two to threeinches in-diameter up to five hundred feet or more away from the systemand up to an elevation several hundred feet or more above the system.The advantages of the system are significant and have applications Inthe construction industry as well as other industries that require ameans to move dry bulk flowable material. Often sand, gravel or similardry or relatively dry flowable material have to be moved to a locationthat may not be accessible to a dump truck, tractor or similar deviceused to move dry flowable material In bulk. The system can pump the dryflowable material up several stories to fill hollow steel columns to addstrength to the columns. It can pump dry flowable material across waterto locations normally only accessible by boat to fill In locations thatpose danger to boaters. It can be used to pump dry flowable materials onto roofs of multistory buildings that are inaccessible to most othermeans of moving these materials. It can be used to move dry flowablematerials across methane or moisture barriers that would be damaged bytrucks, tractors or other devices moving across them.

One of the significant improvements of the present invention Is the useof the trucks engine 123 to provide the power for the hydraulic systemsof the present invention. This is accomplished by the addition of powertake off unit 143 that connects to the trucks gear system and allows itto take power from the engine of the truck and power the hydraulicsystems through lines 145. The power take off connects to the hydraulicpump that pumps hydraulic fluid to the motors that turn the hose reel,the agitator, the auger, the feed bowl and pressurizes the cylinders ofthe hydraulic pad adjusters. As will be discussed below In more detailthe system is controlled from a control panel that sends electricalsignals to a manifold of electric/hydraulic cartridge valves thatrelease the proper amount of hydraulic fluid as the demand for thesystem Increases or decreases. The various hydraulic systems that thepower take off system provides hydraulic power to are the mechanism thatrotates the rotary feed bowl (to be discussed In detail below) and hosereel 132 that is driven by a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system canalso power the auger, the agitator, the hydraulic pad adjusters and thevibrator. As mentioned above and elsewhere herein while the aircompressor in the embodiment described Is powered by Its own engine Itcan just as easily be powered by the power take off system beingdescribed herein.

FIG. 1C is a schematic block type diagram that depicts one type of powertake off configuration that the present Invention could use. In theexample shown the power take off provides power to the air compressor;however, it can just as easily be used to power any of the other systemsof the invention. A transfer box 155 takes power from truck drive line156, which in turn connects to the trucks transmission 157 and therebyreceives power from truck engine 123. Transfer box 155 connects into therear end of drive line 156 in a standard and well-known fashion.Transfer box 155 (also known as a split shaft power take off unit) whenactivated in turn transfers power from driveline 156 to the air end 158Aof compressor 158. Transfer box 155 can also provide power to hydraulicpump 159. In turn hydraulic pump 159 can provide power to the variousother systems such as the rotary air lock turning mechanism, the padadjusters of the rotary air lock system, the auger, the agitator, thehose reel and any other systems needing power. Various types of powertake off units could be used including those that take power off of theengine flywheel or transmission.

Consequently, the engine of the truck, provided it has sufficienthorsepower, can power all of the systems of the invention at a job site.Thus, motor 123 not only is used to operate the vehicle over the highwayit can be used at the job site as the power source for all of thevarious systems of the invention. These allows for fuel savings, noisecontrol (the truck engine is usually much quieter than ancillary enginesthat would otherwise be necessary) and also results in reduction ofpolluting emissions into the atmosphere (the standard truck engine isdesigned to produce reduced emissions as compared to other stand aloneengines). Additionally, it would reduce the cost of the overall systemby reducing the need for one or two stand alone motors to power thesystem.

FIG. ID displays another option for the power take-off drive system. Thecompressor 158 is either mounted on a truck bed or a trailer unit. Thecompressor engine 158E drives air end 158A to reduce the air flow forthe air pump. A hydraulic pump 160 is mounted onto the engine at a portthat provides a power take-off shaft to turn the pump. The hydraulicpump 160 pumps hydraulic oil through the hydraulic lines 160L to thecontrol panel where it is distributed to the different drive systems,the sand and gravel pumps.

FIG. 3 provides a rear view of the improved version the self-propelledgranulate placement system. In FIG. 3 you can see the top of aircompressor 127, a portion of hydraulic hose reel 131, rotary air pumpmechanism 135 loading hopper 133 and compactor drive apparatus 161.During operation of the system to place flowable material the tractorloader with bucket will deposit the material in hopper 133 which is openat its top 133T. The material falls down through hopper 133 and into aslot like opening along the tower end 161L of compactor drives apparatus161. FIGS. 3, 3A and 5 the description provided for these figures belowdescribe in part how this part of the system works. Compactor driveapparatus 161 in the preferred embodiment is a screw auger 168positioned in conduit 167. The screw auger 168 is configured to turn isa direction that moves the flowable material up, as indicated by arrow169, to an opening at the top 161U of conduit 167. The material once itreaches this point falls into rotary air lock pump system 135. Auger 168is rotated by hydraulic drive 168D, which receives power from thehydraulic system. Agitator 165 is rotated by hydraulic drive 165D, whichreceives power from the hydraulic system.

FIG. 3A is a top down view of loading hopper 133. The bottom end 133B ofloading hopper 133 forms a slot like opening 163 over lower end 161L ofthe compactor drive apparatus. Within the slot like opening into conduit167 a portion of auger 168 can be seen. The granulate material when itis deposited in hopper 133 it falls to the bottom of hopper 133 and inthrough opining 63. Auger 168 which rotates during operation of thesystem moves the material in the direction of arrow 169, as discussedabove. The top end of slot 163 is covered with plate shroud 170 toprevent granulate material from causing, as will be discussed in detailbelow, an excessive build up at the top end of auger 168 and dischargingprematurely into the pumping device and overloading and flooding thecollection barrel. The system includes an agitator 165 with spokes 166spaced out along shaft 165S of agitator 165. Agitator 165 turns duringoperation of the auger when aggregate or granulate is placed in hopper133. As can be seen in FIG. 3A agitator 165 is designed to preventbridging of the granulate or aggregate material deposited in hopper 133.Referring back to FIG. 3 the end of auger 168 with its drive mechanism168D can be seen. Additionally the end of agitator 165 and its drivemechanism 165D can be seen. In the preferred embodiment both drivesmechanisms receive their power from the hydraulic system in the standardmanner.

FIG. 4 provides a schematic blow up view of the rotary air lock pumpsystem and the major functional components of the rotary air lock pumpsystem. The system consists of a material feed bowl 171, a wear pad 173,an air intake and material ejection manifold 175, a material collectionbarrel 177, a double piston cylinder 178, a double piston cylinderpiston 179 and an adjustable hydraulic pressure gauge 181. Material feedbowl 171 has a series of chambers 183 and each chamber 183 has twoopenings 183A and 183B.

When assembled for operation the top edge of material feed bowl 171 ispositioned partly inside the lower edge of material collection barrel177. Wear pad 173 rests on top of material feed bowl positioned inreceiving recess 177R of material collection barrel 177. Air intake andmaterial ejection manifold sits on top of wear pad 173. Pistons 178 andon 179 in the preferred embodiment are attached to the side walls 177Wthat form receiving recess 177R of material collection barrel 177.Pistons 178 and 179 apply uniform pressure to the topside of base plate175T of manifold 175. Application of uniform pressure to base platepromotes an even wear of wear pad 173 and prevents the development ofleaks at the seal of wear pad and the top of bowl 171. In operation bowl171 rotates in a counter clockwise direction as indicated by arrow 191while material collection barrel 177, wear pad 173, manifold 175 andpistons 178 and 179 are held in place, in the preferred embodimentpistons 178 and 179 are driven by the systems hydraulic system, which inturn is powered by the trucks engine through the power take off unit asdiscussed above. Pressure in pistons 178 and 179 is controlled byadjustable hydraulic pressure regulator 181 with pressure gauge 181 a.Prior to the innovation of using pistons 178 and 179 to maintainconstant pressure on manifold 175 and wear pad 173 the system operatorhad to make manual adjustments to the manifold 175 wear pad 173 with aclamping type system. Given the highly abrasive material the system washandling, sand, gravel, etc., wear pad 173 could easily get out ofproper alignment and it would prematurely wear and leaks would developrequiring constant maintenance and replacement of wear pad 173 on ahourly basis during operation. Use of the piston arrangement to providea system that can deliver constant and even pressure over the entiremanifold 175 base plate 175T and wear pad 173 solves this problem. Wearpad 173 thus in many respects acts as a wear gasket. As noted above anddiscussed in detail below the air injected into the chambers 183 of thematerial feed bowl 171 to eject the aggregate material deposited in thechambers is cooled to at least close to ambient air temperature. Coolingthe air eliminates a lot of problems with operation of the rotary airlock system and prolongs its operation without the need for maintenance.

Wear pad 173 in the preferred embodiment is made of a thick and durablerubber material that when used under constant pressure can withstand asignificant amount of wear before being replaced. Side walls 177W ofmaterial collection barrel have projections that come down to a pointadjacent to the sides of wear pad 173 just above bowl 171 and help holdwear pad 173 in place.

In its preferred embodiment material collection bowl is made of apolyurethane lower part 171U to reduce wear and prevent material fromsticking to a hot bowl. Wear template 171T connects to lower part 171Uto complete bowl 171. Wear template 171T is that portion of bowl 171that makes contact with the rest of the system when in operation. Thus,wear template 171T during operation is constantly rubbing against thelower side of wear gasket or pad 173. Given the extensive amount ofabrasion wear template experiences during operation it has been foundthat metal, in particularly steel is a preferred material, althoughother materials both metals and non metals could be used. However, oneof the drawbacks of using metal for wear template 171T is the amount ofheat it generates and transmits to the rest of the bowl. This hasresulted in breaking the standard adhesive bond between wear template171T and lower bowl portion 171U. Once the bond breaks down betweentemplate 171T and bowl 171U leaks of material develop at the bond area.This problem has been solved by employing an interleaving type ofconnection 171 S (FIGS. 4A and 4B) between bowl section 171U and weartemplate 171T to prevent leakage developing during use. One interleavingtechnique is to use a tongue and groove connection as depicted in FIG.4A which depicts a cross sectional area with wear template 171T and bowlportion 171U. As can be seen a portion 171P of wear plate 171T projectsdown into bowl portion 171U. FIGS. 4A and 4B show the preferred methodof the present invention of connecting steel wear template 171T tourethane bowl 171U. 171P is a solid key weld to wear template 171T. 171Sis a screened interleaving steel mesh welded connection that allows themolded urethane bowl to cling to and interweave around 171S. Thiscreates a very tight bond that eliminates the problem of delamination ofbowl 171U from wear template 171T if the bowl and wear template becometo hot from friction. Also, as can be seen in FIG. 4 wear template 171Tsits on the top edge of bowl 171 and frames openings 183A and 183B ofchambers 183 of bowl 171.

FIG. 5 provides a side view of the assembled rotary air lock mechanism.Upper end 161U of compactor drive apparatus is positioned above therotary air lock mechanism. When fully assembled collection barrel 177surrounds the material collection bowl Collection barrel 177 sits onpivoting base plate 184. Pivoting base plate 184 connects to supportmember 185 of the body of truck that carries the system. The truck isdescribed above and depicted in several of the Figs. Pivot member 205rigidly connects to base plate 184 but is pivotally and detachablyconnected by hinge assembly member 205A to support member 185. Cam 206is pivotally and detachably connected to truck support member 186 at thepivot point by hinge assembly member 206A. Thus, when hand lever 207 isinserted in sleeve pocket 208 and pushed in a downward motion cam lever206 pivots on 206A allowing the entire pump unit 200 to tilt on hingeassembly 205A. This tilted position allows for cleaning and maintenanceof the unit. Additionally, by removing both hinge assemblies 205A and206A the entire rotary air lock assembly 207 can be removed formaintenance or replacement. Use of the hinges cams and levers allows forease of maintenance. As will be discussed in more detail below there anumber of other innovations in the present invention, that facilitaterepair and maintenance of the system including a reversible adjustablewear collar at the interior junction of the collection barrel andmaterial feed bowl, the hydraulic automatic pressurized pad adjusters,etc. as discussed herein.

Hydraulic drive 209 rotates the material feed bowl, which is not shownin FIG. 5 since it is covered by collection barrel 177. Hydraulic drive209 Is driven by hydraulic fluid from lines 210. Lines 210 connect tothe hydraulic power unit described elsewhere in this specification. Mostsystems that use a rotary air lock pumps rotate the material feed bowlwith a chain driven mechanism or geared mechanism running directly offan air driven motor. The air driven systems are extremely noisy,inefficient and require filtering of the air to remove dust and grease.The ones driven by a geared mechanism require at least five gears withtheir bearings and chains or belts. This increases the complexity of thesystem and making it to some extent inefficient and subject to a highrate of failure. By using a hydraulic driven system all of the problemsof air and gear driven systems are eliminated. Only one gear and bearingis required for rotation of the system and that can be sealed within thehydraulic system. Use of the hydraulic drive also eliminates most of thenoise and the speed of rotation can be easily controlled by the flow ofhydraulic fluid eliminating the need for gears of various ratios. Use ofhydraulic motors, pumps and valves to control and power of most if notall of the systems results in costs savings and a significant reductionin noise and dust created by conventional systems that use noisy airdriven motors, chains and gear drives.

Sticking out of receiving recess 177R is material ejection conduit 201of manifold 175. Clamp 203 holds exterior blow out seal 199 along thejuncture of manifold 175, wear pad 173 and the top of materialcollection bowl 171T. Exterior blow out seal pad 199 prevents theinadvertent escape of aggregate or granulate material at the juncture ofbowl 171, wear pad 173 and conduit 201. FIG. 5A provides a front view ofexterior blow out seal pad 199, which in the preferred embodiment of theinvention is made of a substantially dense but flexible, rugged andmoldable rubber or similar material. FIG. 5B is a perspective view ofblow out seal pad 173. As can best be appreciated by also viewing FIGS.6, 6A, and 7 in conjunction with one another, the pad 199 defines arecess 199 a (seen in FIG. 5B) into which an arcuate support strip 199 bis received, as is seen in FIG. 6A. The pad 199 is a wearing part thatis easily replaced on the durable metallic support strip 199 b. The pad199 and strip 199 b form a tongue-and-groove interconnection, as is bestseen also in FIG. 6A. Accordingly, it will be understood that the pad199 is not permanently attached to the strip 199 b, and may be easilyreplaced with a new pad when it becomes worn.

Referring to FIG. 5 again, during operation the flowable material 193that consists of a stream of aggregate or granular, material describedin more detail elsewhere in this specification, is being ejected out ofupper end 161U of compactor drive apparatus 161. The material 193 failsout through opening 161O into top 177T open end of material collectionbarrel 177. Only exterior of conduit 167 is visible in FIG. 5. However,referring to FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view along plane VI-VI of FIG. 5of conduit 167 and rotary air lock pump assembly 207 is presented.

FIG. 6 as noted is a cross sectional view of rotary air pump assembly207 in FIG. 5 along plane VI-VI. Barrel 177 with a portion of recess177R can be seen. Cross sections of two of the chambers 183 of bowl 171can be seen. Also the two openings, namely the first 183A and 183B areshown in cross section. Additionally, wall 183W that separates openings183A and 183B can be clearly seen in FIG. 6. Wear pad or gasket 173 alsoappears in cross section under manifold 175 that is positioned abovewear gasket 173. Base plate 215 of manifold 175 abuts on its bottom sidewear gasket 173. Base plate 215 as well as gasket 173 have two openingsthat are congruent with openings 183A and 183B as each chamber ispresented to manifold 173 by rotation of bowl 171. Opening 215A of baseplate 215 and opening 173A of gasket or pad 173 are congruent withopening 183A of the chamber 183 located below gasket 173. Likewise,opening 215B of base plate 215 and opening 173B of gasket or pad 173 arecongruent with opening 183B of the chamber 183 located below gasket 173.Manifold 175 includes an air inlet conduit 217 as well as materialejection conduit 201. Air inlet conduit connects to the topside of baseplate at opening 215A and material ejection conduit 201 connects to baseplate 215 at the topside of opening 215B.

Reversible wear collar 197 is attached to the inside of barrel 177 justabove material feed bowl 171. In fact the bottom edge of reversible wearcollar 197 during operation of the rotary air pump just touches the topoutside edge 171T of material feed bowl 171 at friction point 198. Wearcollar 197 is attached by detachable connecting elements 202. In thepreferred embodiment detachable connection elements 202 are standardbolts and nuts with washers. Wear collar 197 only extends around theinside periphery of barrel 177 outside of receiving recess 177R. Wearcollar 197 is made of durable hard but flexible rubber in the preferredembodiment.

Use of the reversible adjustable wear collar between the collectionbarrel and the bowl prevents dust from leaking from between the junctionof the collection barrel and the material feed bowl. The pressure ishigher in the collection barrel and the material feed bowl but thesealing effect of the wear collar prevents the escape of dust into theatmosphere around the barrel and bowl. This makes it safer for theoperator. Prior art systems used felt which would blow out. As notedabove the adjustable wear collar can be adjusted up and down, reversibleinside out or reversible from top to bottom to assure an good sealingeffect and maximize its use.

A cross-sectional view of the upper portion 161U of auger conduit 167and auger 168 reveals the flighting of auger 168. The flighting of theauger is the continuous spiral blade 168B of auger 168 that spiralsaround shaft 168S of auger 168. Depending on the orientation of theflighting and the direction the shaft rotates material deposited inconduit 167 on to auger 168 will move in one direction or the other. InFIG. 6 the flighting of auger 168 is configured in two differentorientations. The first orientation 168F is designed to move material inthe direction of arrow 169 and the second 168R is designed to movematerial in the direction of arrow 169A when the auger shaft is rotatedin the appropriate and preferred direction. Reversing of the flightingof auger 168 at its top end solves a serious problem. Normally, withoutthe reverse flighting material 193 moving up conduit 167 with auger 168would have a tendency to compact at the end 161U of auger conduit 167. Adetailed description of the auger flighting is not provided hereinbecause once one of ordinary skill in the art reads and understands thisspecification they should have no problem in determining the appropriateorientation of the forward and reverse flighting to achieve theappropriate effect.

The system works such that flowable material is introduced into barrel177 by compactor drive apparatus 161. The flowable material then fallsinto the open exposed chambers 183B of bowl 171. While the flowablematerial is being deposited in barrel 177 bowl 171 is rotating underpower from hydraulic drive 209. Hydraulic drive 209 is receiving powerfrom the power take off unit, shown in other figures, throughappropriate hydraulic lines 210 that appear in part in FIG. 6. Hydraulicdrive 209 delivers its power through drive shaft 211 that connects tothe bottom of bowl 171. In turn as bowl 171 rotates each chamber ispresented to manifold 175 so that high-pressure air from the aircompressor (127 FIG. 1) by an appropriate hose hookup to conduit 217 isintroduced into the chamber 183 that is at that moment located belowmanifold 175. The high-pressure air is introduced through opening 183Aof the chamber 183. This high-pressure air then forces material locatedin chamber 183 located below manifold 175 out through material ejectionconduit 201. During operation pump hose 130, which can be up to severalhundred feet long, is attached to the end of conduit 201 and is used toplace the stream of flowable material generated by rotary air lockmechanism 207. Pump hose 130 having been taken off reel 131 (FIGS. 1Aand 1B) where it is stored when in transit or not in use. The end ofpump hose 130 opposite the end connected to conduit 201 is taken out tothe place where the flowable material will placed and the stream ofmaterial is then deposited. As noted, given the efficiencies of thesystem the flowable material can be moved up to several hundred feetfrom the truck.

FIG. 7 is atop down view of part of the rotary air pump assembly. Barrel177, barrel receiving recess 177R and recess wall 177W are visible.Manifold 175 is connected and air introduction conduit 217 and materialejection conduit 201 are present. Also, the tops of piston 178 and 179are visible although the hydraulic lines are not shown. In the preferredembodiment bowl 171 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as indicatedby arrow 235. One of the problems experienced in operation was seepageof flowable material out of the chambers as they passed beyond recess177R at position 230 in FIG. 7. To solve this problem deflector 237 wasadded. Deflector 237 is positioned adjacent to the outside of the wallof recess 177R and covers the chambers as they leave the cover ofmanifold 175. Deflector 237 prevents the flowable material from beingblown out of the chambers by any residual high pressure air left in thechambers as they pass beyond recess 177R in their counterclockwisemovement in the direction of arrow 235. FIG. 7A provides a perspectiveview of deflector 237. Deflector 237 in its preferred embodiment is ahard but flexible rubber wedge that connects to the wall of recess 177Rby means of plate 239.

FIG. 8 provides a view of the rear of a version of the invention thathas two rotary air lock mechanisms 207. To each of rotary air lockmechanism a pump hose has been attached 130. Additionally, each rotaryair lock pump 207 would have a separate compactor drive apparatus notshown but located at the bottom of dual hopper 241 to provide the flowof material from hopper 241.

The system in its preferred embodiment as mentioned above cools the airbeing used to eject material from the chambers of the feed bowl after itleaves the air compressor and just before it is injected into thechambers of the material feed bowl. FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagramof the air-cooling setup. Air from compressor 301 moves through line 303to air cooling unit 305 and from there is sent by line 307 to rotary airlock pump 309. Upon reaching rotary air lock pump 309, as describedabove in more detail, the air is injected into the receiving opening ofthe chambers of the rotary air lock material feed bowl. This as notedabove causes the material deposited in the chambers to be ejected out ofthe ejection conduit to form the stream of material being deposited.Typically, if the air was not cooled before it entered the chambers ofthe rotary air lock it would be at a temperature of at least 180° F. to200° F. At these temperatures the air entering the chamber causes steelwear template 171T heat up, warp and separate from the rest of materialfeed bowl 171.

Additionally, the high temperatures causes rubber wear pad 173 toquickly wear as well as leaks to develop in the seals around the areawhere air intake and material ejection manifold meet rubber wear pad173. Additionally, the hot air causes the material to adhere to thesides of the bowl.

The cooling system depicted in FIG. 9 can typically cool the air to atleast 10° to 20° above ambient air temperature. This results in atremendous improvement in the operation of the system as well assubstantially extending the use life of the parts of the system. Bycooling the air entering the rotary air lock from 180° F. to 200° F. to80° F. or less the entire system runs much cooler and will not become soover heated as to pose a threat to the safety of those operating it.Thus, by cooling air as it comes from the air compressor just before itenters the rotary air lock pump it results in a tremendous reduction infrictional forces and wear and tear on the wear pads, the wear templateof the bowl and the other parts of the rotary air lock pump.

A front view of a control panel of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is provided in FIG. 10. The basic control panel willhave a speed indicator in RPM's for the auger 321 and the rotary airlock bowl 323. Also, it will have an auger speed control 325 and arotary air lock bowl speed control 327 as well as operation controls forthe agitator 329 and vibrator 331. The speed indictors shown present theRPM's in digital format. However, appropriate analog dials can work.Additionally, only one speed indicator could be used with a switch 334to change between an auger speed-reading mode and rotary airlockspeed-reading mode.

In order to have the system operate at optimal efficiency the speed inRPM's of the auger and rotary air lock must be coordinated. Thus, whenthe system is started adjustments must be made to the speed of the augerand the rotary air lock to assure the auger is providing an appropriateflow of material to the material feed barrel but not to much so that itclogs with more than it can handle given the speed of the rotary airlock. Additionally, by varying the speed of the auger and the rotary airlock one can control the quantity or amount of material flowing throughthe pipe placing the material. This will allow for use of flexible hoseto place the material of different size. In practice hose of between twoto three Inches has been found to be quite efficient.

In controlling the RPM's of the auger and rotary air lock one merely hasto turn dials 325 and 327 respectively to achieve the desired operation.Operation of the agitator in the receiving hopper Is controlled by dial329. Since the actual speed of the agitator is not as crucial as theauger or rotary air lock there is no need to provide a speed indicator.Operation of the vibrator is controlled by dial 331.

FIG. 11, FIG. 11A, and FIG. 11B depict a more detailed fragmentary viewin side elevation and partially in cross section of the bowl, manifold,and barrel, and particularly illustrates an improved connection of thematerial hose 130 to the exhaust manifold 201, Previous models weredesigned to have approximately a 45° angle exhaust pipe attached to themanifold. This configuration was required due to the location of themechanism and the need to adjust the wear pads. Because the hydraulicpad adjuster system is used it relieves congestion directly around themanifold, and thus allowing for a more direct flow of air coming intothe manifold, and for exit of material out of the manifold. Theelimination of the extreme 45° angle, and reducing it to 15° angle hassignificant effects. The previous design with the 45° angle experiencedextreme wear in the exhaust pipe due to the ricochet effect of materialcaused by the restricted configuration of the system at that time. Thenew design, with approximately a 20° or less angle allows for a moreunrestricted flow of material entering and exiting.

Additionally there is an improved hose to manifold connection asdepicted in FIGS. 11, 11A, and 11B. instead of having the beginning ofthe hose start at the furthest exit point of the manifold 201, the newand improved systems calls for an insertion of rubber hose 130, insidethe manifold pipe 201, creating a seal 607, where it joins at the innerpoint of the manifold. The hose 130 creates a wearable replacementliner-within the steel manifold 201, The hose clamp 603 is attached tothe hose 130 with screws 601 at a point that matches the end point ofthe manifold 201. A collar 605 secures the connection. Consequently asthe hose 130 wears m, steel manifold 201, the operator simply removesthe hose and cuts off the damaged section of the hose with a pipecutter. He then slides the remaining section of the hose back into themanifold and reattaches the clamp 603 with screws 601 to the new properlocation on the hose 130. By using the unique way of lining themanifold, it protects the steel portion of the manifold 201 fromexcessive wear and obviates the need for replacement of manifold 201.

Turning to a more detailed view of FIG. 11, it is seen that the weartemplate 171T consists of two parts. That is, the wear template 171Tincludes a first part 171 a which is attached directly to the lowerportion 171U of the bowl 171. Also, this wear template 171T includes aseparate wear portion or part 171 b, which is removably attached to part171 a by plural bolts 171 c (only one of which is seen in FIG. 11) inthis embodiment, although the invention is not so limited. The parts 171a and 171 b are substantially identical in plan view, as is best seen inFIG. 4. The wear pad 173 makes rubbing contact with the wear part 171 b.Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the wear part 171 b isremovable and when sufficiently worn can be removed to be replaced witha new wear part.

In an alternate version of the present invention, it could be configuredas a semi-tractor trailer arrangement, as depicted in FIG. 12. In FIG.12 a tractor unit 301, has a detachably connected trailer unit 303. Thetrailer unit contains all the features contained in the previouslydiscussed single truck unit above. These are namely, a hose unit 305,which attaches to the rotary air lock mechanism. A compressor 306 powersthe entire unit. In the present instance, compressor 306 would power allof the hydraulic systems previously mentioned. Additionally, compressor306 would provide the compressed air for the rotary air lock mechanism.The connections would be as described above. Additionally, as is wellknown in the art, a motor compressor such as that depicted in 306 can beused to power several different systems at the same time, given thatthey have several different connections for powering a multitude ofdifferent units. The hopper 308, depicted in FIG. 12 is a double unit,although a single, unit can be used. Two rotary air lock pump mechanisms309A, and 309B, the same as those described above, operate with thisunit. The unit would also carry a small tractor 311, together with rampsections 312A, and 312B. Given the fact, that in a semi-tractor trailerarrangement such as this, the bed of the trailer can be slung lower tothe ground than a typical truck unit. The actual ramp sections wouldprobably be smaller than those described above for a simple truck unitsystem (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) and have a smaller angle to the ground.This would further facilitate taking the tractor off of the trailer 303,and putting it back on.

A number of advantages of the above unit is that with all of thenecessary elements can betaken and left at the site. The tractor unit301 could be used for other purposes, while the trailer unit 303 is atthe site for use.

As stated above, power for the entire system would be provided bycompressor motor 306, for this trailer unit to be fully functional.However, the engine compressor unit of the single truck unit describedabove, could also be used to power all of the systems, namely, thehydraulic, as well as the air compressor systems as described above. Inthis event, a power take-off unit, utilizing the power of the truck,would not be necessary.

FIG. 13 depicts a method for filling a tubular sock sand bag 401. Oftenthe locations where sandbags need to be placed are in difficult to reachlocations. These often can be stream banks. Additionally fillingindividual sandbags and transporting them to the location needed is anextremely difficult and labor-intensive process. As can be seen in FIG.13, the system of the present invention is being used to fill a longtubular sandbag 401 along the edge of a streambed to prevent flooding.Sand 57 would be delivered to a site and discharged into a pile. Thetractor-loader 125 would then scoop the sand from pile 57 and dischargeit into loading hopper 133 of the sand and gravel pump truck 121. Thepump 135 then pumps the sand through hose 131 where it is dischargedinto a long tubular sandbag 401. By using the present invention asdescribed above and depicted in FIG. 13, regular sandbags or a longtubular sandbag can be filled along an area to prevent flooding which islocated several hundred feet from the location of the sand and gravelpump truck 121.

FIG. 14 depicts a method and system for utilizing the present inventionin a sandblast operation, adding another operation feature to thepresent invention. This increases its flexibility and makes it moremulti-functional. As used with the current invention, tractor-loader 25,not shown, loads sand, not shown, into truck hopper 133. Compressor 127provides a source of air. The air travels through line 5011. To thesandblast pot 500. The sandblast pot 500 stores the sand and deposits itinto air stream 502L upon demand from the operator, by the manipulationof valve 505. Line 503L is a standard control line used on sandblastingequipment. The loading hopper 133, which can store 1 to 2 cubic yards ofsand, discharges it into an adjustable secondary dispensing auger 133D,which fills the sand pot as it voids itself of material. The high airpressure-low sand ratio travels through line 502L and exits throughnozzle 505. sandblasting is used in many functions such as paintremoval; exposing aggregates for concrete, cleaning, repair of concrete,etceteras.

Turning now to FIG. 15, an alternative embodiment of the invention isillustrated. Because this alternative embodiment of the invention hasmany features which are the same or which analogous in structure orfunction to features illustrated and described above, these features areindicated on FIG. 15 using the same numeral used above, but increased byone-hundred (100). Turning now to FIG. 15, it is seen that the materialcollection bowl 271 includes a molded polyurethane lower part 271U(i.e., to reduce wear and prevent granular material from sticking to ahot bowl). The bowl 271 also includes a wear template 271T, which may bea two piece assembly including an upper wearable component, and a lowerdurable component, which lower durable component is permanently attachedto the lower part 271U (i.e., by molding of the polyurethane lower part271U onto this durable component).

Wear template 271T attaches to the lower part 271U to complete bowl 271.In order to assure the mechanical and adhesive bond between weartemplate 271T and lower bowl portion 271U, the wear template 271T isprovided with a radial and circumferentially arrayed plurality ofdownwardly projecting flange portions 271P and 271R. The flange portions271 P are like those depicted and described earlier with reference toFIG. 4. However, the flange portions 271R are additional to flanges271P, and cooperatively define a plurality of radially andcircumferentially arrayed intersections 2711. As was described above, aninterleaving type of connection 171 S (recalling also FIGS. 4A and 4B)between bowl section 271U and wear template 271T is formed to preventleakage developing during use of the bowl 271. However, in theembodiment shown in FIG. 15, this interleaving type of connectionincludes not only circumferentially extending flange sections 271P(i.e., like those described by reference to FIG. 4) but also includesradially extending flange sections 271R. In addition, and importantly,the circumferential and radially extending flange portions define aplurality of intersections or corners 2711, as which the polyurethanematerial of lower part 271U interlocks with the metal of upper portion271T. Both the radial and circumferentially extending flange sections271P and 271R, define plural through holes 273, which provide forinterlocking of the polyurethane of lower portion 271U with the metalupper portion 271T (i.e., during the molding of the polyurethane to theshape shown in FIG. 15). This creates a very tight bond and attachmentbetween the polyurethane and the metal that eliminates the problem ofdelamination of bowl portion 271U from wear template 271T.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptation andmodification of the just described preferred embodiment can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedClaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

1. A tractor loader transport mechanism for a vehicle comprising: atruck with a flat rear bed; a portion of said bed being dedicated tocarrying a tractor loader and said dedicated portion of said bed beingpositioned at a lower position with respect to ground level for saidtruck than the remainder of said truck bed; a side portion of saiddedicated portion of said bed being beveled additionally downwardly toform an incipient ramp; at least one ramp extension attachable to saidincipient ramp portion to form a complete ramp for driving a tractorloader onto and from said dedicated bed portion of said truck bed tothereby be able to transport said tractor loader with said truck; andwherein said at least one ramp portion is sized to fit across the truckbed in an orientation orthogonal to a front and rear of said truckwithout projecting out on either side of said truck bed.
 2. Themechanism of claim 1 wherein said truck bed is nominally at least 4 feetabove the ground, and said lowered dedicated portion of the bed islowered by substantially 6 inches.
 3. A rotary air lock pump mechanismcomprising: a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambersarrayed about a central axis of rotation; a power source to rotate saidmaterial feed bowl about said axis of rotation; a collection barrelpositioned over said material feed bowl and having a substantially openupper end for directing flowable material deposited therein to saidmaterial feed bowl and into said chambers; an auger positioned in ahopper for receiving flowable material deposited in said hopper andfeeding flowable material to said collection barrel and material feedbowl; an agitator disposed in said hopper, said agitator including arotational shaft and projections extending from said rotational shaftwithin said hopper; a power source for rotating said shaft of saidagitator at a selected speed, said power source including a hydraulicmotor driving said shaft of said agitator at a 1:1 speed ratio; an airintake and material ejection manifold positioned on said barrel forinjecting pressurized air into a chamber of said bowl and receivingflowable material ejected out of said chamber via a material ejectionportion of said manifold; a wear gasket positioned between a faceplateof said manifold and said bowl and facilitating rotation of said bowlwhile sealingly engaging about successive ones of said plural chambers;an hydraulic pressure mechanism engaging against a second side of saidface plate to effect pressing of said face plate and wear gasket towardsaid material feed bowl with an adjustable steady pressure; wherebyflowable material is deposited into said hopper and said agitator isrotated by said shaft to prevent bridging or clogging of said flowablematerial in said hopper.
 4. A rotary air lock pump mechanism comprising:a rotational material feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayedabout a central axis of rotation; a power source to rotate said materialfeed bowl about said axis of rotation; a collection barrel positionedover said material feed bowl and having a substantially open upper endfor directing flowable material deposited therein to said material feedbowl and into said chambers; an air intake and material ejectionmanifold positioned on said barrel and including an air inlet conduitreceiving pressurized air from a source thereof in order to injectpressurized air into a chamber of said bowl, and a material ejectionconduit receiving flowable material ejected out of said chamber; asource of pressurized air communicating with said manifold, said sourceof pressurized air including an air compressor delivering pressurizedair at a substantially supra-ambient pressure, and said source ofpressurized air further including a cooler receiving hot pressurized airfrom said air compressor and delivering cooled pressurized air to saidmanifold, whereby said cooled pressurized air is cooled by said coolerto a temperature within about 20° F. of ambient. a wear gasketpositioned between a faceplate of said manifold and said bowl andfacilitating rotation of said bowl while sealingly engaging aboutsuccessive ones of said plural chambers; an adjustable hydraulicpressure mechanism engaging against a second side of said face plate toeffect pressing of said face plate and wear gasket toward said materialfeed bowl with an adjustable steady pressure; whereby as said materialfeed bowl rotates flowable material is deposited into an upper end ofsaid barrel and into said plural chambers, and successive ones of saidplural chambers are serially presented to said manifold so that flowablematerial is ejected via said manifold while operating temperatureelevation of said wear gasket and bowl is substantially reduced by saidcooled pressurized air.
 5. A feed bowl component for a rotary air lockpump mechanism, said feed bowl component comprising: a rotationalmaterial feed bowl with a plurality of chambers arrayed about a centralaxis of rotation; said material feed bowl at an upper extent including awear template of metal, and a lower portion made of a hard but light anddurable wear resistant polymer material; said wear template and saidlower portion of said bowl being united into a unitary structure via aninterleaving connection cooperatively defined by said wear template andsaid polymer material of said lower portion; said interleavingconnection including said wear template including a plurality ofradially and circumferentially extending flanges extending into saidlower portion.
 6. The feed bowl component of claim 5 where in said hardbut light durable wear resistant polymer material is selected from agroup consisting of polyurethane, polypropylene and polyethylene.
 7. Thefeed bowl component of claim 5 wherein said interleaving connection isconfigured as a tongue-and-groove type of connection, in which said weartemplate includes said radially and circumferentially extending andaxially projecting flanges, and said flanges cooperatively define aradially and circumferentially arrayed plurality of intersectionsinterlocking with said lower portion of said feed bowl.